Scene of the Year 2008

See below : )

With the note: Yes, this is a scene that lasts, perhaps, 20 seconds at most, but the greatest scenes own no temporality, existing purely on their own plain. This still sends shivers down my spine, the perfect, stunning, shot of meaning, beauty and sense in a few, perfect, ephemeral, seconds.

2nd Watch

The Dark Knight (2008)



In this, new, segment, sponsored by Ronseal, we watch a film a second time to judge whether it has longevity and, with that, whether it has lived up to the hype either we, or others, initially heralded it with. Perhaps it might also be a forum for us to challenge our own views on things we have welcomed, and things we have dismissed. So, I start with this, an effort destined to appear, in one form or another, in my end of year lists.

It is impossible to watch this without sadness since you are constantly reminded of what a truly great talent each and every one of us has lost in such tragic circumstances. It was not only a fitting tribute to Heath Ledger that he picked up Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the psychotic joker here, but a fully merited one. As things stand, Ledger, too, will be my number one male performer of the year, an opinion that has only been enhanced through my recent second viewing of The Dark Knight. Ledger's astonishing Joker is a sublime character and a delicious villain. You feel the revulsion towards him of every character he approaches in the film, good or bad (or neither or both), apart from the Batman, intrugingly, a deliberate touch, surely, on Ledger's part, on Christian Bale's (Batman) and on director Christopher Nolan's. Malevolent, driven, but certainly not mad - the Joker has everything planned down to the last, anarchic detail. Perhaps there is order in anarchy after all. There is a message here, isn't there? Even anarchy requires planning of the highest order. The Joker represents both the darker side of the world and the darker side of human nature, the yearning in each of us to break out into disorder and chaos from our rigid, computerised lives, but unable to do so without allowing the world to burn in immorality, injustice and confusion. The Joker doesn't care about any of this, of course, and we are given tantalising, contradictory, hints as to why. Is there, after all, some tragic humanness, some awful unresolved, deep trauma behind it all? The hideous scars, bejewled by distorted and frightening make-up, are an all too constant reminded to the Joker of whatever trauma it is he is unable to face up to. A deep character indeed. Is there any 'deeper' villain in film history? That I can even ask the question is a measure of Ledger's achievement. The film belongs to him, and it always would have done regardless of the tragic events that were to befall him before the film's opening. There is some order, some meaning, some history, some reason, behind the Joker. And it is a touch of genius that we never see it.

Of course, Ledger is not alone. Nolan has assembled a tantalising cast to support the film. Bale is a good Batman, and, like his character, is in the shadows here. Caine and Freeman provide perfect, and very different foils, and Gary Oldman is full of an earthy humanity as Comissioner Gordon in a role different from those he usually plays (perhaps, for a lesser director, Oldman would have been the Joker and Ledger, Gordon). Maggie Gyllenhaal is a great improvement on Katie Holmes and is, bravely again, given an interesting and early demise which contributes hugely to the story arc of two major characters.

There are two disappointing factors. The first, a major one, is that Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is not given another film to let his fascinating portrayal of Harvey's tragic story arc come full circle in the extra cinematic space it deserves. The second, a minor one, is that Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow doesn't return for more than a single, tantalising, scene. A shame, but a minor quibble. Dent's demise, on the other hand, comes too quickly, as does his transformation. At least the make-up doesn't look as bad and actually holds up better under the microscope of a second viewing.

I haven't, yet, said anything about the film itself. So many high points and very few lows. The major low is the unbelievably irritating digitisation of Bale's voice. So many people I know have commented on this it is becoming almost scandelous that it was not picked up in first screenings and changed. Aside from that, it is very difficult to formulate criticisms. The action is well judged and well paced and punctuated by interesting scene after interesting scene, from the very first, during which the Joker's gang gradually bump one another off as the result of the clever machinations and planning of their devious and cunning boss. A scene towards the end (captured in the picture above) where the Joker, a passenger in a squad car, is driven around the city, hanging out of the window, with a beautiful gloaming falling behind him to near-darkness and the quiet silence of hollow solitude hanging and resonating deeply in the coming night air. It is a stunning moment, 20 or so seconds to make your hair stand on end, and is my scene of the year. It is, again, a testament to Nolan, and to cinematographer Wally Pfister, that a big-budget actioner such as this pays such attention to cinematography. Credit to Ridley Scott's Hannibal here, one of the pioneers of such an approach (I remember a similarly beautiful, silent and still, moment in that film where, amidst carnage and terror, neon police lights cross a suspension bridge with great delicacy and lightness of touch). It is hard to describe how such a seemingly meaningless moment can have such an effect on you, and, indeed, to describe the kind of effect that it actually has, but, if you can bottle meaning, it is there, in that moment, as the Joker parades deadly amidst Gotham's twilight.

There are other sublime moments too - the Joker's face as he realises he has underestimated humanity and the essence of his plan has failed (Ledger deserved the Oscar for this moment alone); the entire last set piece is brilliantly done and, as I wrote in my original review, a priceless testament to the intersubjective character to ethical truth; the scene where Freeman's Lucius Fox offers his resignation, and its sister scene, some half an hour later, when he voicelessly withdraws it; the Hong-Kong grab; the Joker at the party. The Dark Knight is just full of these moments and it never feels a moment too long, or like it is dragging. And not to forget the great lines (e.g. "I wanna drive") and the great dialogue (particularly the moments where the Joker offers up his contradictory histories, a great touch, effortlessly delivered by Ledger).

As you might have guessed, the Dark Knight's grade is going to improve on second viewing. Certainly not an easy effect to acheive and, particularly, for a superhero film. There is so much to enjoy with this, the performances, the cinematgoraphy, the script, the dialogue, the scenes, the set-pieces, the direction, the Joker...And there is potential for it to improve for further viewings, so vast this universe is, and so deep the character who inhabit it are. Perhaps those reviews that acclaim this to have changed movie-going forever are premature - it is no Jaws - but this is still an incredibly original, brave and beautiful way of pulling punters in through the doors. Incredibly impressive and improved by a second viewing

A-

Not to mention, of course, those last, great lines:

Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight

I've Loved You So Long - Il y a longtemps que Je t'aime (2008)

Three 2008 films in a row. Unbelievable. So what did I make of this, a lyrical French film about Juliette (a marvelous Kristin Scott Thomas), returning to live with her sister Lea having been released from prison 15 years after murdering her son? Beloved by critics, including my colleague, though not by Oscar, this didn't quite manage to inspire me as it has others, despite good performances from the leads.

There is no doubt that this is Scott Thomas' film and my colleague is right to feel indignant at the lack of nomination, though, sadly, this is what I've come to expect from the Academy. That said, Elsa Zylberstein, who plays the sister, delivers a more understated, though no less compelling performance. There are some interesting male efforts here too, particularly from Laurent Grevill, as Michel. But this is a feminine film, drawing on tender, emotional, themes of sisterhood, belonging and togetherness and it is right that the two leads dominate proceedings.

A slow- burning film, this still never fails to engage it's audience, largely down to the sublime performances. Juliette is a very human character, invested with huge emotional and psychological depth by an excellent script. This is a complex character, but Scott Thomas is more than up to the task. Although you can catch her English accent in places, this is nicely, and very plausibly, explained away and that can, besides, hardly be a criticism coming from someone with as dodgy French as mine. And Lea is an equally deep character, with just as much of a history and with just as many issues, though they are naturally different and perhaps not as insurmountable. In short, this feels a truly human drama, full of human life, struggle, beauty and redemption, many of the themes that are present in films of the highest order.

I would, however, urge caution about putting this in the very top rung of cinematic achievement. It's good, and I enjoyed it, but, ultimately, it failed to inspire me that it was a work of genuine greatness. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, what is an incredible, show-stopping, last scene (for the brilliant emotion-fueled exchange between the two sisters) is dulled by a shocking piece of editing leading up to it, which can be put down to little more than laziness. Unfortunately, for me at least, it had a negative effect. Secondly, as good as Scott Thomas is, I couldn't fully believe the historical actions of her character as explained in the final reel, which left another slightly bitter taste. And thirdly and finally, I couldn't help but feel that the bravery of the film-makers ebbed away slightly towards the end and they didn't quite have the bottle to make a fully empathetic film about characters who do bad, even unforgivable, things. This remains generally uncharted territory, the latest final taboo, for film-making. It will be a spectacular, epoch-defining, film that crosses those boundaries, but this isn't it.

Perhaps I shouldn't criticise this for being something it isn't and should just have enjoyed it for what it is. But I genuinely think I did. And, ultimately, my enjoyment was spoilt by the fact that this, good as it is, didn't quite deliver on all its promises.

B

The Mist (2008)

Warning: SPOILERS
Frank Darabont directs Stephen King story means form. This combination has brought us top-10-film-of-all-time The Shawshank Redemption and the very well received Green Mile (which I haven't seen sadly). So can this, a brave 18-rated horror film about a mysterious mist which hides all kinds of hideous and demonic creatures, live up to past form?

Yes and no. There are flashes of brilliance - and great bravery - here but, ultimately, the film disappoints, which is not, however, to say that it's bad. I hate to do reviews which include spoilers, but I can't avoid it here since vital elements of the plot and story impact heavily on my judgement of the film, so apologies for that and, if you're interested in seeing this, stop reading now.

It's a really good premise - most of the action centres on a group which have been trapped in a supermarket by the enveloping mist. And much of the film's emotional and psychological arc centres around the idea that the greatest danger to humanity is humanity itself. Few things are spared here by Darabont, not humanity, not milataryism, not mob justice, not technological development and definitely not religion. The message is loud and clear - all these things, and more, are responsible for the messes human beings get themselves into. And, in the Mist, they are in the middle of one big heap of a mess, which just gets worse and worse the longer the film goes.

There are some great set-pieces (a scene in a Chemists as the group looks for vital medicines) is taught, frightening, tense and brilliantly put together. Others are less convincing - particularly an early-ish one in the garage at the back of the supermarket which displays very poor CGI that, regrettably, impacts on the film's believability and the brilliance of some stunning and powerful later images.

Still, the temporal centre of the film is gripping and tense, helped by some believable characters and good emotional symbiosis between lead character and ordinary Joe David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his son Billy (Nathan Gamble). Two excellent contributions by a terrifying Marcia Gay Harden and previous MyFilmVault-lister Andre Braugher (wonderfully obnoxious and drenched in so many of the bad, individualised, aspects of modernity) might well result in spots in my end of year lists. Possibly.

Before the last 30 seconds this is possibly A grade material, but certainly worthy of a B+ and then the unforgivable happens. I cannot stand films which suddenly betray their own landscape of believability. It is absolutely paramount for horror and fantasy films of this type that they inhabit a consistent universe for their running time. Believability is contingent. If a horror film, or a fantasy film, is asking you to suspend belief in the everyday reality before your eyes, it is, then, to go a step too far to ask you to suspend belief in that realm of believability it itself has fictionalised. I apologise for the mouthful, but horror films live and die by this. And the Mist, ultimately, dies.

After escaping with his son and a few others, in a small 4 by 4, Drayton pilots the jeep through a wonderfully eerie, smoky, wilderness, stunningly captured and genuinely gut-wrenching. As ever more strange creatures appear, and as the needle on the petrol indicator slowly falls, you get this awful aching sense right in your gut not only that everything is not going to be okay, but that it cannot be. This is A grade stuff, polished, deep and highly effective. The Mist has enveloped America, if not the world. Finally, the fuel runs out. Drayton takes his gun, with four remaining bullets, shoots his son and the other two passengers to spare them, quite rightly, a fate worse than death, then leaves the jeep to call on the creatures to take him. Then the Mist disappears with a load of military guys following behind it with tanks and flame-throwers. I almost threw the remote through the TV in anger and disappointment. I felt totally cheated. I'd invested 2 hours of my life, caught up in this tension, only to be hit with this incredibly brutal ending which, yet, made no sense according to the film's own universe. Absurd. Utterly absurd. There is no way this mist could have lifted so quickly without Drayton hearing all the tanks, flamethrowers and military planes etc, not to mention other problems (why didn't he at least try to look round for other cars to syphon petrol off - they pass hundreds on the way). Completely gutting. It was a brilliant and brave ending without the absurd extra 30 seconds which revealed the 'twist', which made the whole thing, including Drayton's sacrifice, just seem completely trivial and pointless. This exemplifies everything I mean - good films (like, for example, REC and Cloverfield) are so effective at collapsing believability they don't leave you asking these kind of questions because, simply, these questions don't matter. The film just exists, perfectly and exquisitely, on its own plain.

Also, Jane is just not good enough an actor to pull this off and his effort at the end (which had been perfectly commendable up to this point) is as lamentable as the situation his character finds himself in. Hugely disappointing. What should be lauded as brave, innovative and good film-making has to, instead, be marked down as a disappointment.

This is such a shame as there are great things about the Mist, but it is impossible to recommend a film that leaves you feeling so deeply frustrated. It's still better than the average, so I won't let my disappointment get the better of me and settle on a B-. Like The Happening, a great concept, but a delivery that is ultimately flawed.

B-

The Happening (2008)

Surely not? Surely even I couldn't like this, M. Night Shyamalan's latest effort, about a 'happening' that suddenly causes people to commit suicide, which has been universally pilloried and castigated by all (it's currently at 19% on Rotten Tomatoes)? Could I? Could I?

Well the short answer is yes, and that brings me onto my rant, which I might as well get out of the way first. Yes, this has its problems, but I fail to see how it has been brutalised as strongly as it has. I personally feel that it has to do with Shyamalan. Here is an Asian-American film-maker daring to write and direct his own movies, based on interesting original personal material and he gets castigated for it. What would you prefer instead? Ten-a-penny Brett Ratboy's helming live-actioner after live-actioner on monstrous budgets, with inflated egos and salaries without a shred of originality anywhere? Being original means being brave and sometimes it doesn't come off as it should do - as here. But I'd rather salute someone for daring to have a go than pillory them for getting it wrong from time to time. More than any of this, you can tell that Shyamalan just loves making films, just loves telling stories and has also clearly understood the vast potential the moving image has for getting messages across to mass audiences. Again, I think the few who dare to speak up about something important (whether that's to them or to us all), rather than tow the line, deserve our applause and admiration. They are a rare breed.

Anyway, the film. As I say, it focuses on a small group (Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo and Ashlyn Sanchez) who are fleeing some kind of natural disaster, which causes people to commit suicide in the American Northwest. Unusually for a Shyamalan film the performances are fairly poor, and Deschanel, so good in All the Real Girls, is perhaps the biggest disappointment, though there are still signs she will go on to great things. Leguizamo is the stand-out, such as there is one, and Wahlberg sleep-walks his way through.

For sure, the story is at times preposterous - it is implied that trees talk to one another through the wind which carries 'the happening' - but this kind of thing is not unheard of in Hollywood films, including those like The Fog and The Mist (review forthcoming) which have been heralded as classics or near-classics. And there's a nice moment of self-effacement as Walhberg's character catches himself talking to a house-plant. Critics just seem to have missed this kind of thing, as they always do with Shyamalan, who clearly has the ability to take the piss out of himself and has a nice, sensitive, ear for humour.

The end is also rushed and unsatisfactory and adds another layer of unfortunate implausibility to the already fairly implausible proceedings, meaning that this is, in sum, a far from perfect film.

All this said, none of it can take away from the fact that I enjoyed it. And that is what I want most of all from a film. Is this not what everyone wants? Great films are great because they are great at entertaining. There's little more to it than that, or there should be, but pretentiousness seems to demand something more for some reason. Okay, this is far from being a great film, but it's still a perfectly good one and I've certainly seen far worse and far worse that has been far better received for little reason other than prejudice or arrogance.

I saw a director's screening with Shyamalan when The Village came out and was very impressed with him as someone who loves making movies, loves telling stories and understands the importance of the reception of moving images. There is no doubt that Shyamalan pushes my cinematic buttons and I don't see any problem with that. Yes, he can get preachy - this is even more so than the Village, but, again, I'd rather be challenged by a film than sleep-walk my way through it. And I happen to think that Shyamalan is right, we should all be thinking more about our relationship to the environment. There are many things about nature, and the way nature works, we still simply don't understand - I was just the other day reading about the sharp increase in the number of young people being diagnosed with allergies which no one can explain. Of course, there will be an explanation, and it won't be as far-fetched as Shyamalan's here, but nature is a mysterious, and unforgiving, mistress and this inevitably opens the way for some interesting and innovative film-making. The Happening makes a lot of Einstein's interesting comment that, if the honeybee was wiped out, humanity would be dead within 4 years. And the honeybee is, in fact, dying, and at alarming rates. Therefore this is something we should be thinking about.

There are some awful moments here, but there are some striking and startling images as well - Shyamalan hasn't forgotten how to shock and how to scare - and the whole thing is perfectly watchable and enjoyable as a novel take on the disaster movie. Shyamalan is someone who has the courage to stand up, speak his mind, and challenge an audience. He fluffs his lines here and stammers through on occasion, but that does not mean he should be subjected to the kind of ridicule which might silence him in the future. Shyamalan will be back and those who demand challenging and innovative film-making, and are even prepared to accept that it may go wrong from time to time, will be all the happier for that and cinema, as a whole, all the richer.

B-

Joaquin Phoenix: Certifiable

Bit late with this - caught it a few days ago and been meaning to post here. Definitely worth sticking with the entire thing. The word is that Phoenix is faking but, regardless, this is hilarious to watch.

Life of Pi

Our film wishlist has not been updated in a while (practically ever) but even though we have been too lazy to add titles to it, the powers that be have been working hard to remove one. The Life of Pi is finally heasing into production with one of the greatest living directors at the helm - step forward Mr Ang Lee. Read Matt's take on the book and why it would make a great film here.

And finally, here's the story.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

13 Oscar nominations. 13? THIRTEEN????

How is that possible?

Admittedly, some of these are deserved but others are most assuredly not. This is complete Oscar bait stuff - an adaptation of an F Scott Fitzgerald short story, it is lengthy, weighty and expensive. It runs the gamut of emotions - or at least tried to elicit these from the watching masses - tears, laughter, joy - you're supposed to fall in love Benjamin and Daisy and 1920s and 30s America. I genuinely had a sinking feeling within 30 seconds - I realised quickly that this was another Forest Gump/Big Fish style shaggy dog story, and that is historically not a type of film I've enjoyed at all. I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this either.

Nominations that are completely deserved:

Make-up & Special F/X - the only reason to stay with this interminable thing is to see whether the make-up crew and the special f/x department can make Brad Pitt look 20 again. Well, as it turns out, they can - and very convincing it is too. Kudos to them for that - have a well deserved Oscar nomination.

Best Score - Alexandre Desplat is a very talented composer and, while not his best work, it is of sufficient quality to merit awards notice. I probably wouldn't have had it in my top 5, but it would not have been a million miles away.

Art Direction - Probably just about deserved, although a win would be a real stretch when you have The Fall and Hellboy II: The Golden Army released in the same year.

Nominations that are probably undeserved but that I can handle:

Best Actor - Brad Pitt is not a particularly strong actor. The guy is incredibly good looking and I think this helps mask any deficiencies in charisma and screen presence. He is never the most nuanced of actors, and his only previous Oscar notice came for an exaggerated, tic-riddled mental patient where nuance went out the window. Well, to give him his dues, this is probably the best thing he has ever done - there's a subtlety and restraint (and he's not so restrained his comatose a la Jesse James) to his performance that makes it worth noticing and in many other years a nomination would have been deserved. Just not in a year when Rourke, Penn, Langella, DiCaprio and Jenkins gave far superior work though.

Cinematography - Seen better, seen worse. Presumably people remember the ballet scene where Daisy is silhouetted. At the time I was watching this I actually thought, maybe this could have been lit a little better. And in any case, The Fall is clearly the best cinematography of the year by something like a zillion miles.

Nominations that are completely undeserved but not catastrophically bad:

Costumes - Bleh. Who cares. Why is this even a category? Only 20% of the films made are even competing for this award. As if would ever go to something contemporary like American Beauty or The Departed or Crash (all of which won Best Pic.) They always lavish attention on period pieces and let's be honest, when was the last time you came out of a film and thought - "great costumes!"

Best Supporting Actress - What did Taraji P. Henson do that was noteworthy? Anything? Anything at all?

Astonishingly unfair, undeserved and embarrassing nominations that border on clinical insanity:

Best Picture: I detest pictures that for some reason decide they need to bookend and punctuate a story with a pointless modern day setting. Think Titanic or Saving Private Ryan. What's the point? It is always the weakest aspect of the film and serves no purpose. This one is punctuated by a masturbatory, death-bed, hurricane Katrina setting. I see no point to this other than to get Cate Blanchett and Oscar nom for playing a 90 year old and even that didn't work. And if there was some symbolic relevance to setting it the day before Katrina, then clearly it wasn't necessary since the original short was written in 1921, and I dare say was a much finer piece of work than this.

Best Editing - What editing? I dread to think how long the first cut ran but if this is a well edited film then I look like a 20 year old Brad Pitt. If it had been half the length, maybe there would have been an enjoyable film there, but at 166 minutes it is at least an hour too long. Any editor with balls would have told Fincher the whole Katrina thing was getting canned anyway.

Best Adapted Screenplay: - Take a novella and bloat it so immensely, you make Forest Gump look like a live action short. The aforementioned modern day setting is indulgent and completely ruinous.

Best Director - I am actually a huge David Fincher fan but this is so self-indulgent I cannot believe this is the guy that directed Se7en, The Game and Zodiac. Very disappointing stuff from someone I greatly admire. Even his previous misses like Panic Room and, dare I say, Fight Club, had a huge amount of directorial verve and originality. This is just Forest Gump lite.

Grade: D

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

What more is there to say about Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, a film which has wowed audiences, critics and awards ceremonies in the early part of 2009? Well, hopefully, a little bit otherwise this review will be a little pointless. Nominated for 10 Oscars, including some love for Boyle in the director's category, does this deserve the praise which has been heaped on it?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, because this is a terrific film, thoroughly enjoyable and intense throughout (except for perhaps a 15 minute or so period of drift), though it perhaps falls short of being the absolute classic it has been heralded as.

So, in case anyone needs reminding, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), who ends up on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Accused of cheating because he answers the questions correctly, Jamal is interviewed by the police, during which it becomes clear why he knows the answers to the questions he is faced by...

This is a brilliantly put together film. Reminiscent of my favorite film of all time, Ikiru, in the way it narrates the story backwards. Slumdog stands as proof of the emotional effectiveness of focalising the drama in this way - as opposed to the traditional, linear, narrative fare of much mainstream cinema. Telling the story - effectively - backwards just seems to be a highly effective way of scoring emotional points and hitting the right psychological notes. This is done very effectively here.

I think I would echo my colleague's comments on the lead performances. Dev Patel and (the absolutely stunning) Freida Pinto are perfectly decent but should not, in reality, trouble our end of year lists (as they haven't my colleague's) nor, for that matter, any other, though, of course, far less prestigious, awards ceremonies. The stand out performance here is undoubtedly provided by Anil Kapoor, who plays Prem Kumar, the host of Millionaire who somehow manages to convey a character even more obnoxious than Chris Tarrant. Kapoor's performance bristles with energy and presence and he produces a very effective counter-vision to Jamal's wide-eyed innocence. The rest of the performances are all fine, though nothing special. That said, perhaps Ankur Vikal, as abusive and sleazy local hood Maman, deserves special mention - although I did feel that the 'gangster' sideshow was often superfluous to the film.

Despite the positives I was left feeling that I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I should have done and I would certainly question how well it would stand up to a second viewing. And I don't think that was all down to the people in the row in front, and in the row behind, giving the answers to the fictional questions on the gameshow and getting them wrong in all cases. When the geezer in the row behind said "D'Artagnan" for the last one, he almost got a faceful of what was left of our popcorn. In the end, though, the film just didn't resonate quite as it should have done, despite being fully enjoyable and generally satisfying. Further, there is enough here for many to enjoy and I don't recall, yet, hearing anyone say a bad word about it. Recommended but, in the end, perhaps only just.

B+

Movie Years 2008

My top 5s for 2008 are complete. Click on the logo!

More 2008 Notes

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Stunning. Best Woody Allen in ages, maybe ever. Terrific dialogue and the wonderful Spanish setting is like another character in this excellent ensemble piece. A sheer delight from start to finish. A+


Frozen River - Saw it for Melissa Leo's Oscar nom and she is certainly deserving, trouble is I can't help feeling she took Kristen Scot Thomas' spot. You're never exactly hard pushed to guess where the film is going, but it gets there with no shortage of skill. A great debut from Courtney Hunt. B+


Wendy and Lucy - Michelle Williams stars as Wendy, and gives a decent performance, but I have to say I found her character fairly irritating. She makes a series of illogical decisions and I had little sympathy for her, although this is once again a well made film and a good debut by a female director. C+


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - AKA Forrest Gump 2, and it might be wort noting that I hated that film too. Tedious, much much much much much much much too long self-indulgent wank. I love David Fincher's work but this is borderline unforgivable. 13 Oscar nominations??? Pah. (More to follow) D


Let the Right One In - Swedish horror film riding high in the IMDb charts, and it ain't bad. It's not the best horror ever, in fact it isn't even the best horror this year but it is the best Swedish horror film I've ever seen. Actually it is the only Swedish horror film I've ever seen - it it is nicely shot and atmospheric, but found slightly wanting in terms of real suspense or intrigue. B-


The Fall - Spectacularly beautiful film - amongst the most visually pleasing I've ever seen in fact. The cinematography and art direction are outrageously good. It proves there no excuse for poor visuals as this was all accomplished with a very modest budget - the makers of low budget films everywhere should take note and be embarrassed with their half-hearted efforts. A-


Doubt - Enjoyable Meryl Streep - Philip Seymour Hoffman double act. The 10 minute long scene featuring a tempestuous confrontation between them is wonderful. Nicely written although slightly irritating direction with director John Patrick Shanley mistakenly believing tilting the camera 30 degrees adds something to the shot. There's a reason no-one else does that John. B+

Christian Bale Going Nuts

Terminator 4 is my 10th most anticipated movie of the year and clearly Bale is taking it very seriously. One thing that struck me though was his weird pseudo American accent. Last time I heard him speak he definitely had a pretty normal British accent - maybe he was screaming in character?

Quick Notes

Valkyrie - the makers of Valkyrie commit that most unforgivable of sins - their film is so dull that I couldn't care less whether Hitler lived or died. Tom Cruise is Colonel Von Stauffenberg - a soldier selected to assassinate Hitler and overthrow his government. Sounds like a great premise for a film but even a solid director like Bryan Singer, someone who certainly knows how to craft a thriller, can't eke any thrills out of such plodding material. Sure it looks handsome, and is nicely photgraphed, but much of it borders on tedium. C-


Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - the quirkiest title of the year in a self-consciously quirky film - think Juno, but far less successful. I don't mind quirky. I liked Juno as much as the next man (as long as the next man isn't Matt.) But if I'm honest I was fairly irritated halfway through the opening credits, which is a pretty impressive going. The cast are all likeable but the script just didn't do them justice. C-


Defiance - another WWII film - the third of 2008 - and the third WWII film of '08 that blows hard. It's dull, unconvincing and... well isn't that bad enough? Ed Zwick isn't everyone's favourite director but I actually liked The Last Samurai a lot. This is the sort of worthy bore-fest that makes him hard to defend though. D


Revolutionary Road - stunning Sam Mendes film (goes without saying) that was criminally overlooked by those fine folk that nominate the Oscars. The only actor to get a nomination in this terrific film was on screen for about 3 minutes. DiCaprio and Winslet are wonderful and deserved better. Winslet's nomination for her role in The Reader instead of for this superior effort is inexplicable. Review to follow. A

The Wire, Season One

You may well have heard accolades like "greatest television show ever" bestowed on this series, which not that many people have heard of because, like all the best America tele, it got shoved on to a channel which no one watches, not everyone has, and at a difficult time of day. Just like, in fact, creator David Simon's previous show, The Corner and many other great shows that have come our way from across the pond (Seinfeld, Arrested Development, even arguably Curb, the list goes on).

But suddenly everyone has started talking about The Wire, quite possibly because, having completed its 5th season, it has finished. Recommended to me by a few friends recently, I began catching up with this from season one. I owe my friends some serious beers for the recommendation.

Condensed over 13, hour-long, episodes, The Wire tells the story of a complex series of murder and drug-related investigations undertaken by a special unit of the Baltimore PD to try and take down a local drug baron by the name of Avon Barksdale, and his crew.

I was into it by the end of the first episode, to a degree and depth no first episode has ever engaged me before. The story is a little slow to get going, but the brilliant, deeply-drawn, characters drive the first few episodes on at an incredibly rapid and soulful pace, to the extent that I find myself watching the DVD clock shoot towards the hour mark at light speed desperately hoping it would slow down. Around Episode 5, this simply becomes the greatest series of television I have ever seen and sustains that level of interest, depth of character, engagement and general, all-round, brilliance right to the last reel of Episode 13, which leaves you gagging, and I do mean gagging, for Series 2. Like a book you can't put down, the watchability of this exceeds even the greatest, most engaging, television of the last decade (which, for me, constitutes, in terms of drama, the first seasons of Lost and 24).

Although the drama and the story are both utterly compelling, the best thing about this is it's characters. Alternating between being heroes and villains from one moment to the next, there is not one element, not one pore on any of their skins, that feels hackneyed and cliched. Again, this even surpasses season 1 of Lost, which did such a brilliant and, in a way, very original take on characterisation, with the layers of humanness that lie under the interesting skins of the Wire's characters. The main protagonist is the sublime McNulty (a brilliant Dominic West), an incredibly passionate cop, who likes the odd drink and who drives the investigation with his passion and verve, which comes to infect all of those around him who start of not wanting to be there. McNulty makes more enemies than Ashley Cole along the way, but it is relentlessly compelling. However, the other characters are so equally brilliant, he is not left holding, or even driving, the show in any way. McNulty's partner Bunk is hilarious and just as fun, but with a very deep soul as well, the chief, Daniels, grows into the series like a sunflower stretching up to the sky in summer. Kima, who grows close to McNulty, is perhaps the least well understood of the characters and you sense there is a lot more to come from her as well. The actress (Sonja Sohn) is spectacularly good as well. There are others, too, particularly Lester, who, like the Chief, grows into the series and will surely play a more prominent role in the series to come.

Then there is the other side, the drug dealers. Only, with the Wire, you can never quite be sure just whose side you are supposed to be on as heroes and villains lurk in every corner switching from one to the next just like the human beings they are. The main protagonist on this 'side' is D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.), nephew to drug baron Avon, whose conscience is torn by the brutal, tormenting, world into which he was born and the deeds it compels him to carry out. D'Angelo is probably the deepest of all the characters (though that's like saying Pele was the greatest Brazilian footballer of all time in a team that comprised (say) Sokrates, Garrincha, Jairzinho, Ronaldo and 100m man Kaka) and every scene he is involved in is fascinating and you are just never sure which way he's going to go in any given situation. Avon (Wood Harris) is truly scary, one of the most frightening villains depicted on screen for years. Harris is brilliant and invests Avon with a ocean-deep sense of intensity, drive, power and strength. The same goes for Avon's lieutenant Stringer Bell (Idris Elba).

Further brilliant characters flit around the outskirts, meaning that no scene seems superfluous, padding or meaningless. As Anthony Burgess wrote about The Old Man and The Sea , every word tells a story and there is not a single word too many. Drug-addict turned informant Bubbles just tries to survive in a world you know he isn't made for and, again, more of his story waits to be told. Omar, a local rival to Avon, is almost as scary, but more sensitive, humorous and layered.I can't mention every character, otherwise this review will go on for a year. Wikipedia has a useful brief summary on every character for those interested.

The other sublime thing about this show is its depth of focus on the reality of inner city American life and ghettoisation. The far-reaching and very real impact of inequality and deprivation (including oppression, racism and ghettoisation) are here laid bare in all their wretchedness. These characters are forced to make choices and decisions the more fortunate of us simply never have to contemplate facing. If the world is to change, the beginnings of those changes will have to be felt here. But what has changed? This is the world Bobby Womack, in Across 110th Street, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, in The Message and, in film, Charles Burnett, were warning the world about already 30 years ago. People can only take so much and one day the grapes of wrath will sow the seeds of revolution on these streets. This is a brutal and unforgiving world and, ironically, one which makes for a relentlessly compelling season of perfect drama.

Just go and buy this, you cannot possibly regret it. I'm going to return to Season 1 time and time again, especially whenever I feel the call to revolution. It immediately has a longevity way beyond that of most TV seasons, even the most brilliant. Just superb, brilliant and beautiful. TV cannot, and will not, get any better than this.

A+

Cher in Batman 3?!

Apparently the rumours are not true, but I'm intrigued by the fact that there were rumours in the first place!

Oscar Reaction

4/5 on my predictions for Best Picture, although that wasn't that difficult. I get credit for guessing The Dark Knight would be snubbed, despite what the vocal fanboys were saying. Sadly I didn't predict the film that would do the upsetting, but then neither did anyone else. That film has a lowly 60% fresh rating on rottentomatoes and got an even lowlier D from me when I saew it atwo weeks ago. Surely the worst film to get a Best Picture nomination for a while.

Kristin Scott Thomas missed out. A travesty.

Brad Pitt got into the line up. I await Benjamin Button with baited breath but Pitt has not once shown he is capable of doing anything that would merit Oscar attention (yes I know he's been nominayted once before) and one of the performances that was in the mix was from the brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio so I am suspicious that he is worthy, but we shall see.

Happy for Richard Jenkins for The Visitor, happy for Mickey Rourke, although his nomination was nailed on, and pleased that the American votes have a bit more intelligence than the Brits - the Slumdog love did not translate into another inexplicable nomination for the perfectly pleasant, but card-board cut-out-esque Dev Patel.

Confused as to why anyone thinks In Bruges is worthy of anything other than a Razzie nom.

Oscar nominations tomorrow

So I've looked into my crystal ball and it tells me the following shall be nominated for Best Picture...

Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
and, controversially, Wall*E

Everyone else is saying The Dark Knight for that last slot. I have two problems with that. One: it's a comic book film, and however well received it was, comic book films don't get nominations. And two: it wasn't that good. I think a lone directing nom for Nolan is as likely as a best picture nom for the film, but of course I'm not exactly going to be surprised if the Bat does sneak in. I personally would like to see The Wrestler (almost certainly my film of 08 - review imminent) make it but alas it seems Mickey Rourke will be flying the flag on his own.

The other nom I am looking out for is Kristin Scott Thomas for Best Actress. Never did I think it would be possible for her to miss out but it seems that it might be. The favoured five seem to be...

Winslet, Streep, Hathaway, Leo and Jolie.

I cannot believe it, but KST may miss out yet again. A real shame.

All will be revealed at insane o-clock Pacific time in the States (around 1pm in the UK I think.)

Australia

"Baz, you know that last act that you worked so hard on and thought would be the perfect way to end it?"

"You mean the segment featuring the Japanese bombing of the Northern Territory - that hugely important cultural event that was such a powerful event in the lives of the people we're portraying here, and ultimately shaped our nation? The segment we spent 3 months shooting, sweat blood and tears over and spent millions on."

"Yeah that's the one."

"What about it?"

"Well - how can I put this - it's shit."

read the rest

Slumdog Millionaire

Despite continued success and solid reviews for just about everything he has ever done (The Beach excepted) Boyle has never made that transition into the big time. I expect that is about to change. Oscar success seems imminent. People are knocking on his door. He's the hot new thing in cinema and all thanks to an obscure, low budget, star-less Indian film about a boy on a quiz show.

read the rest

The Reader

One half of Kate Winslet's double Golden Globe success from Saturday landed here a couple of weeks ago and I caught up with it upon its release so it is about time I reviewed it. Whilst I'm happy for Winslet - there are very few, if any, actresses working today that are as overdue as she is in terms of big awards - one can't help wishing that she was being rewarded for something truly outstanding. Perhaps Revolutionary Road, which she won the lead actress award for on Sunday, may feature that performance. The Reader certainly doesn't.

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Che: Part One

I knew very little of Che Guevara before I saw the first part of Steven Soderbergh's documentary-like take on the man, and now that I've seen it there is one one thing I know for absolute certain: there's absolutely no way in the world I'll be watching part 2.

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Twilight

Stephanie Myers' vampire trilogy is the hot new cult thing amongst teens and Twilight is the first film in what is almost certainly been an already greenlit series. I suspect the they've got the green light for a few reasons: 1. it made a decent return at the US box office; 2. it didn't cost very much to make; and 3. it is actually surprisingly good.

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2009 - Adam's take

Such are the vagaries of the film release calendar it doesn't feel as though 2008 has finished, and indeed it hasn't. I've still got Milk, Revolutionary Road, Doubt, Gran Torino, The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon, Nothing But the Truth, Rachel Getting Married and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button all to see before I can possibly announce my side of the much coveted, highly prestigious movieyears awards. All land in the UK in the next couple of weeks after being released late in the year in the US an attempt to snag awards glory.

But for a brief moment let's look ahead at the 2009's genuine releases. Take this list with a pinch of salt. Of those films in my 2008 list, Valkyrie, Star Trek and The International were bumped to 2009 and MR73, Oliver Marchal's follow up to the brilliant 36, didn't even get a UK release; I'm awaiting the DVD. Of those three bumped films, Valkyrie and The International no longer hold much appeal - if they'd been any good they'd have been released when they were originally slated to, or at least that's what one would expect. I am still looking forward to Star Trek though but I can't have it on both my 2008 and 2009 preview, so with that in mind my top 10 most anticipated of '09 are...



10. Terminator: Salvation

The first two Terminator movies are rightly very highly regarded but the 3rd one is actually a very good film as well. Breathtaking chase sequences, particular one involving an enormous truck, complemented what was actually a very nicely written plot, one that advanced the SkyNet/John Connor/T-800 storyline whilst staying true to the previous films. I have concerns over the director and also the 25 year gap between T3 and T4. Nick Stahl did well as the younger John Connor but they seem to have cast well in Christian Bale as the adult Connor. If they have a decent script, and with Bale on board that seems likely, let's hope they can do this thing justice, however McG is best known for directing Charlie's Angels, and that isn't exactly a stellar resume (although I have to confess I thought the sequel, which he also helmed, was pretty good!)



9. Avatar

Well anyone who directs a film to almost $2 billion worldwide, completely obliterating any previous box office record, wins a record 11 Oscars and then takes 12 years off certainly knows how to ramp up expectations for his next project. James Cameron has done just that and we have to wait til December to see how he follows the most successful film of all time.



8. Inglorious Basterds

Well I have a couple of concerns, one: that's not how you spell bastards, and two: Tarantino has been off form over his last two films. I didn't care for Death Proof at all and was disappointed by Kill Bill Vol. 2. However, the guy is still an incredible talent and one of the most unique filmmakers in the business so any new Tarantino film has to be something to look forward to. Basterds stars Brad Pitt in the long-awaited WWII project.



7. Man Who Stares at Goats

Grant Heslov co-wrote Good Night, and Good Luck with George Clooney and that was unquestionably one of the smartest screenplays of that year. The film was very highly received and Heslov has graduated to the director's chair for a film that at the very least has one of the more intriguing titles of the year. Clooney, McGregor, Spacey and Bridges head an impressive cast in an Iraq based comedy.



6. The Informant

I'm not convinced Soderbergh has done anything of especial merit since Traffic but he is still a name I look out for when composing something like this and The Informant looks interesting. Matt Damon stars as the vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre, who accuses the US government of price fixing. It appears it doesn't know what it wants to be however as IMDb lists it as a comedy/crime/thriller/drama. A shame it's not also a sci-fi/western as well.



5. Duplicity

Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton landed atop my 2007 list so his follow up is a no-brainer in any preview list. Duplicity stars Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti, which is also a no-brainer. This has quality written all over it and one hopes this can capture the absorbing atmosphere of his debut film. He certainly knew how to get great performances out of his actors so at the very least we should be in for an acting masterclass. The plot sees Roberts and Owen team up pull the "ultimate con job" on their bosses. Sounds like there is comedic potential but IMDb assures us this is a pure thriller.



4. State of Play

Tony Gilroy's second appearance on this list, this time as writer, in Kevin MacDonald's State of Play. MacDonald's last film, The Last King of Scotland, was complete crap and saved only by an astonishing lead performance, but he is sure to fare better with this adaptation of a well-received British TV political thriller. Rachel McAdams, Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman and Helen Mirren star.


3. This Side of the Truth

Here's why this is going to be great:

1. Jeffrey Tambor
2. Ricky Gervais
3. Rob Lowe
4. Jason Bateman
5. Tina Fey
6. Patrick Stewart
and 7. Jeffrey Tambor.

Have I mentioned before that Jeffrey Tambor is quite possibly my favourite actor in the world? For the uninitiated, check out The Larry Sanders Show and you too will be convinced of his brilliance. His Arrested Development efforts weren't too shabby either and I know Gervais is a big fan of both shows so it is no surprise to see him team up with him in his latest film, the first feature film that he has written and directed. Gervais added his own inimitable style to Ghost Town, a highly enjoyable Hollywood debut, but this promises to be even better. In a world where nobody has ever lied, Gervais invents dishonesty out of boredom. Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Jason Bateman and Christopher Guest also star.



2. Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, Patricia Clarkson and Ted Levine in a "Mystery/Crime/Thriller." It's from a Dennis Lehane novel, he who also wrote Mystic River, which didn't fare too badly come Oscar time winning 2 of it's 6 Oscar nominations, all of which came in the most prestigious categories. With one of the best casts of the year, it's a decent bet that this may follow suit.


1. Arrested Development: The Movie

So it hasn't even been officially announced, they're not even in pre-production and it certainly doesn't have a release date, but I figure if enough people like me make this their most anticipated film of 2009 then the powers that be will make it happen. Please please please please please.

Hancock (2008)

Hancock (Will Smith) is a beleaguered, down-on-his-luck, superhero, living in present day LA but unwanted by the American public, and generally unloved, because he seems to create more destruction than he prevents. Drunk and moody, Hancock drifts aimlessly through his days, mixing drinking with the odd bit of heroism, until he saves the life of Ray Embrey, who works in PR. As a thank you, Ray offers his services to help Hancock's public image and help him come to terms with his past and who he is today...

Read more

We're back

Apologies for a total lack of posts over the last 2 weeks. I have been sunning it up in Mexico and my colleague was obviously having fun in England, which I returned to Saturday, but it felt like I'd landed somewhere more like the picture above.

Loads for me to catch up on asap - I have seen and will review:

Twlight (surprisingly good)

The Reader (surprisingly bad)

Lakeview Terrace (somewhere in between)

and am seeing Australia later, although I approach with trepidation after mixed reviews, and I pledge to see Che and Slumdog Millionaire by the weekend. Reviews forthcoming.

2009 Preview Baby

Well, 2009 is here and us dedicated types at MyFilmVault have disregarded our hangovers, put off clearing up the beer cans and shaken off our disappointment at the lack of football today to bring you this preview of the year ahead. And what a year it promises to be. As I was putting this together I was struck by the amount of quality that will be coming our way. I could easily have doubled this list and, further, have made one for January alone, such is the quality coming our way over the next 31 days. We have the first part of Che (though not in Leicester, sadly), Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road (a GREAT book), Australia, The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire all to look forward to. So, I'll leave these off my preview, even though I've earmarked Che as my most mouthwatering prospect over the next 12 months. That said, a number of other tasty morsels are being offered up. The question is...how many of these will I actually go and see at the cinema? A market will shortly open up on Betfair.

1. Watchmen

Although this is in no particular order, watching Hancock (see next review...) has really put me in the mood for this forthcoming, bound-to-be-brainy, superhero film. Set in an alternate 1985, an age still riddled with cold war paranoia and despair, being a superhero is not uncommon. However, superhero status has now become outlawed and 'vigilantes' have been discredited and run underground. But when one of their number is brutally murdered, a rag-tale band of former heroes reunites to track down the murderer and uncover further sinister goings on...

If this sounds like a novel take on a superhero movie, it is. This is bound to be dark, claustrophobic, deep, thoughtful and brutal. Having been knocking around Hollywood in one form or another for a number of years, it is amazing it has even been made at all. Both Stallone and Schwarzenegger were reportedly attached at one time or another, but directed Zack Snyder has thankfully gone for a bunch of by-and-large unknowns, although I note Patrick Wilson has been getting some love from my colleague's lists and reviews of late.

In a way (and discounting the January flurry of promising movies), I'm most looking forward to this in 2009 as it promises something different and something interesting, following on from the equally interesting and brave Hancock from 2008. And we don't have to wait too long for this. It should be with us on March 6th.



2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Okay, a somewhat dull choice I know, and perhaps an inevitable one given that I've posted on it before. It's worrying that it was put back a year (this should have been released this past November) and I haven't yet heard an explanation as to why it has been put back, but I still hold out hope.

This is the best of the Potter books (which I've read), and that's saying something given that book 7 is also superb. But Book 6 has even more than the thrilling climax and, if done well, this should be dark, claustrophobic, tense, compelling and thrilling (a bit of a theme emerging here...). There are signs that the actors are getting better, that Gambon is beginning to fill Richard Harris' rather large wizard-shaped shoes as Dumbledore, and that things are beginning to come together. Film 5 (Order of the Phoenix) wasn't great, but, then again, neither was the book. Book 6 is almost as long, but not a word is wasted. They'll do well to cram it all in, and cram it all in effectively, but this is the moment I fell back in love with Potter. For those who hate the books and the films, this is the time to give it a second chance.

Another look at the trailer...




3. Where the Wild Things Are



Oh dear, only at number 3, and two 'children's' films already previewed. And, like Watchmen and Potter 6, this is also courting controversy, particularly among the fanboys of Maurice Sendak's book. I've never read it so I can't comment. I don't understand, however, the hostility fans of books, comics, theatre productions have to the very idea of their beloved artistic treasures being made into a film (not that they can't be disappointed with the final result). Isn't it good that a piece of genuine art will reach a larger audience? Give the filmmaker a chance. After all, if it wasn't for Spielberg (with a little help from Messrs Scheider, Dreyfuss, Shaw et al), where would Jaws be?

And director Spike Jonze (whatever else you may feel about him) can hardly, in all fairness, be called cynical. Add that to the fact that the screenplay was penned by the brilliant Dave Eggers, you just have to call on people to give this a chance. Please...

Anyway, the film centres on Max, a young boy sent to his room without any supper. Angry, he creates an imaginary world inhabited by creatures, who crown him their ruler. We are promised more darkness, more scares, more fear. This just sounds very interesting and well worth a look, particularly for someone like me who works with children and particularly enjoys working with their imaginations. Well worth a look.

4. Drag Me To Hell

Moving away from children's films onto horror movies...



This also sees Sam Raimi move away - briefly - from his Spiderman baby to this tale of a Loan Officer (Christine) ordered to evict an old woman from her home. The old woman then places a supernatural curse on Christine, who is forced to turn to supernatural forces of her own to help liberate her from the curse.

This sounds, in all essentials, like a genuine, old-fashioned, chiller which, like this years brilliant REC, will aim to bridge an unsettling gap between modernity, superstition and religion. And if the result is anything like that achieved by REC, the results could be fantastic and genuinely chilling. This one is heading our way in May (a shame it misses Halloween, which seems to be devoid of decent, even promising, films year on year).

5. The Road


I finished reading this novel, by current literati darling Cormac McCarthy (fully deserving of adoration by the way), a few months back and loved it. Set in a post-apocalyptic nightmarish America, the entire landscape of which is awash with black ash and ruin and which is ravaged by roving bands of carnivorous, brutal, survivors.

It sounds fairly by the by from that description, yet it is anything but. For, through the ash and charred remains of humanity and human landscapes, walk a father and son, desperately striving, against all hope and against all the odds, for some form of redemption.

Don't get me wrong, this is such an emotionally note perfect book it will be very difficult to pull off well. But the signs are promising. Helmed by John Hillcoat, who did a great job with The Proposition (which, vitally, looked great, as this will have to as well) and starring Viggo Mortenson (who is, believe me, perfectly cast), this also features cameos by Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, a cast that certainly gets my juices going. And the noises coming out of the camp, particularly about the key relationship between father and son (the latter played by the largely unheralded Kodi Smith-McPhee), are equally promising. This will be probably be very good, but, if pulled off, could be great. I await with great interest.

Well, that's my first five, the next five will follow later. A fairly eclectic bunch of films and no doubt some surprising and controversial choices, but we here at MyFilmVault like to keep you on your toes, so I hope you enjoy perusing this little selection. January promises to be a great month and I hope I'll actually manage to see some of the cinematic fare served up in the post-Christmas period. So, enjoy, and back soon with more previews.